Releasing electrical connector designs have heretofore been employed which produce separation of the connector plug and a mating receptacle upon the application of a separating force. Such arrangements have included an operating sleeve mounted so that upon the application of a separating force, the operating sleeve is axially shifted which in turn produces a release of a retaining connection between the receptacle and plug.
The connection which secures the plug shell and the receptacle includes means which also provides the force for causing the receptacle and plug shell to be mated. This means has taken the form of a camming arrangement between a coupling member carried within the operating sleeve, on which is formed cam surfaces, such as threads or a bayonet connection which interact with cam surfaces formed on the receptacle to produce axial advancing movement of the receptacle into engagement with the plug shell by rotation of the operating sleeve and which retains the same upon achieving their connected relationship.
The movement of the operating sleeve produces a releasing of the camming relationship to thereby release the connection between the receptacle and the plug shell.
This releasing action has been produced by a segmenting of the coupling member in arcuate segments, which blossom outwardly upon movement of the operating sleeve to an axially retracted release position. An advanced position is in turn induced by the exertion of the separating force acting between the receptacle and the operating sleeve.
The separating force acts against compression springs which serve to urge the operating sleeve into an axial position in which it serves to confine the arcuate segments so as to prevent the outward releasing movement thereof.
The separating force is transmitted to compress the springs by means of a spring retainer housing which is axially secured to the plug shell by means of an anchoring radial lip or flange and on which the springs are caused to act by a retaining ring secured by a snap ring.
In prior art designs, the retainer housing was of one-piece construction which was anchored by a snap ring fit into a retaining groove on the plug shell in order to provide the necessary axial securement thereof.
Such arrangement entailed the cost of machining for the retaining ring groove as well as a difficult assembly procedure since the retainer housings were disposed within the operating sleeve and the point whereat the snap ring was to be assembled was well within.
Accordingly, this arrangement contributed significantly to the expense of manufacture of the electrical connector.
Accordingly, it is the object of the present invention to provide a releasing electrical connector of the type described in which the spring retainer housing is installed in axially anchored relationship with the plug shell without the need for installation of a separate retaining ring to thereby minimize the cost of manufacture and to simplify the assembly thereof.